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Kohlberg and Fowler: Two Models for Considering the Moral Progress of College Students Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development Volume 3 Number 3 Faith Development on the Christian Article 3 College Campus 2003 Kohlberg and Fowler: Two Models for Considering the Moral Progress of College Students Tim Herrmann Taylor University Follow this and additional works at: https://pillars.taylor.edu/acsd_growth Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Herrmann, Tim (2003) "Kohlberg and Fowler: Two Models for Considering the Moral Progress of College Students," Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development: Vol. 3 : No. 3 , Article 3. Available at: https://pillars.taylor.edu/acsd_growth/vol3/iss3/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Association of Christians in Student Development at Pillars at Taylor University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development by an authorized editor of Pillars at Taylor University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Faith Development on the Christian College Campus Kohlberg and Fowler: Two Models for Considering the Moral Progress of College Students by Tim Herrmann ABSTRACT Fostering moral development has been an important goal of American higher education throughout its history. This goal has become especially prominent in light of recent developments related to crime, ethical indifference and deteriorating social structures. This topic is of particular relevance to faith-based institutions as the foster- ing of moral development is vitally related to their collective mission and purposes. The literature of moral development contains a number of prominent and plausible theoretical approaches. However, two of the most prominent and highly developed are, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral judgment development and James Fowler’s theory of faith development. Each of these approaches characterizes moral development in distinct ways. In keeping with the uniqueness of these approaches, each model yields distinctive insights and conceptual strengths. Specifically this review attempts to identify the major conceptual elements of each theoretical perspective in order to consider the implications of using either as a basis for future research initiatives. Additional consideration is given to available methods of assessment and the theoretical fit of the two models with the specific interests of faith-based colleges. Finally, this review explores implications for future research and emerging research questions. INTRODUCTION Fostering moral development has been a goal of American higher education since its inception in the seventeenth century. While there was some movement away from this emphasis during the mid to late twentieth century, the issue is once again prompt- ing significant attention within the higher educational community. This resurgence is due in large part to a public demand that colleges and universities do more to address unsettling societal developments related to crime, substance abuse, family structures, school violence, corporate ethics and moral indifference. Mounting interest in morality and character development corresponds with the growth of enrollment in religious colleges. The increased student population of the 104 evangelical Christian institutions represented by the Council for Christian Col- leges & Universities provides an example. Between 1990 and 1998 CCCU institutions Tim Herrmann is an Assistant Professor of Psychology/Coordinator of Academic Assessment at Taylor University and he holds a masters degree in counseling from Ohio State University. Growth, Spring 2003 13 TaylorGrowth2003 13 5/12/03, 1:50 PM increased their enrollment by a 36.9%. This compares to a 5.3% growth rate for all institutions of higher education and 15.6% for religious institutions in general (CCCU, 2002, ¶ 3). The individual member schools of the CCCU are characterized by a strong focus on a liberal arts core curricula, community identity, and emphasis on the moral and religious development of their students. Included in the mission of the Council is the goal of “help[ing] its institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth.”(CCCU, 2003, ¶ 2) In the broadest sense, the emphasis on moral development reflected in this statement is the backdrop for this review. In the literature, the phrase “moral development” is used interchangeably with the phrases “moral judgment development,” and “moral reasoning development” all denot- ing a cognitive process. The most commonly used conceptualizations of this process attempt to describe the development of a system of beliefs, standards, and ethical values that provide guidance and direction for one’s life. At its most basic level, “[m]oral judgment development is … a transformation of one’s way of reasoning, expanding one’s perspectives to include criteria for judgment that were not considered previously” (Good, 1998, p. 270). Though some theorists do not address the issue directly, implicit in a consideration of moral development is attention to the question of how one’s developed belief systems and moral judgment capacities actually evidence themselves in moral behavior. Although those who have addressed this issue from a purely cognitive perspective have been tremendously helpful, their approach fails to address several very important questions. For instance, what part do emotions, belief systems, and faith play in the process of helping people to become decent and honorable? Though there is a tremendous body of literature in this field, the work of Lawrence Kohlberg and James Fowler stands out. The comprehensive nature and originality of their work have encouraged great attention from others. However, despite many complementary ideas, each addresses the topic of moral development in a distinctively different manner. Kohlberg who stands preeminent in the field of moral development is of benefit because of his intense attention to the cognitive structures guiding the development of moral reasoning. While Kohlberg is helpful for this sharp focus, Fowler is beneficial because of the breadth of his approach. Fowler’s attention to the construct of faith holds particular promise because it attempts to reach beyond the boundaries of cognition. Thus, these two theorists provide alternative models for considering human development in these realms. Accordingly, the purpose of this review is limited to the following two purposes: To explore the ideas of Fowler and Kohlberg in order to identify the basic conceptual ele- ments of each theoretical perspective; and to consider the implications of using either theory as a basis for future research initiatives? KOHLBERG AND FOWLER: MAJOR CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS As referenced in the previous section, Kohlberg and Fowler each hold a unique place in the literature of moral development. While admittedly both have borrowed from and built upon those preceding them in the discipline, their contributions are innova- tive and have generated substantial research and critical reflection. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is the theory of choice in the fields of moral education and moral psychology. Though not as broadly applied, perhaps because of assumed theological 14 Growth, Spring 2003 TaylorGrowth2003 14 5/12/03, 1:50 PM Faith Development on the Christian College Campus underpinnings, Fowler’s theory holds a similar stature in the closely related realm of faith development. For these reasons a deeper understanding of the key elements of each perspective, a comparison of conceptual similarities and differences, and an analysis of the implications of using either theory as a basis for future research initia- tives will provide significant practical benefit. The following two sections describe Kohlberg’s and Fowler’s ideas regarding the psychology of moral and faith develop- ment respectively. Lawrence Kohlberg Kohlberg’s work brings a sense of order to the concept of moral development that serves to promote systematic examination and exploration. Gary Sapp, in his introduc- tion to the Handbook of Moral Development (1986) illustrates the prominence of this theory when he says, …Lawrence Kohlberg[‘s] …contributions in the area of moral philosophy, moral development, and moral education are qualitatively akin to the broader theoretical ruminations of Freud and Piaget. Indeed, Kohlberg’s influence is now so pervasive that a sizable majority of all studies dealing with moral development consider concepts enunciated by him and his students (p. 3). Thus, regardless of perspective or critical evaluation, no legitimate study of moral development can ignore the ideas, or progress without an understanding of Kohlberg’s theory. Although Kohlberg’s ideas are innovative, they are built upon the foundation of the work of many theorists who precede him. While the emphasis of this review relates to the psychology of moral development, it is important to note that Kohlberg’s ideas are both philosophical and psychological in nature. To this point, the first volume of his primary work, Essays on Moral Development (Kohlberg, 1981), is devoted to presenting his philosophy of moral development. As a staring point in this consideration it is helpful to understand where Kohlberg lies in relation to other major
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